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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

US's letter to UN member states on Palestinian statehood

This is what diplomats say is an American letter to the UN member states on Palestinian Statehood. It was circulated on 27 September 2012 after the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas's speech before the UN General Assembly, diplomats added. The letter was quoted by The Guardian on 1 October 2012.

Here is the letter in full text.

Coordination on Potential Palestinian Observer Status Initiative in the
United Nations General Assembly

The United States and its Quartet partners continue to work toward a
two-state solution that would result in a secure, democratic Jewish State of
Israel and a Palestinian State as a homeland for the Palestinian people. We
remain focused on returning the parties to direct negotiations and quiet
contacts towards that end are proceeding.

At the same time, we continue to urge both parties to avoid provocative
one-sided actions that could undermine trust or otherwise distract from the
pursuit of peace. This includes efforts by the Palestinians to potentially
press for a resolution in the UN General Assembly to give “Palestine” non-member
observer state status. Such a resolution would have significant negative consequences
for the peace process itself, for the UN system, as well as for our ability to
maintain our significant financial support for the Palestinian Authority. A
General Assembly resolution on Palestine statehood could also open door to Palestinian
participation as a state in other international for a including at the
International Criminal Court as well as a host of UN Specialized Agencies.
Statehood for the Palestinians can only be achieved via direct negotiations
with the Israelis.

We believe your government understands what is at stake here, and – like
us - wants to avoid a collision at the coming UNGA session. We hope you are
willing to support our efforts, including in your conversations with other
governments and with the Palestinians directly, that such a vote on status in
the UN General Assembly would be extremely counterproductive.

We would appreciate knowing where your government stands on this issue.
We would also be interested in knowing whether you have been approached on this
matter by Palestinian representatives.